Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day in London Tamils Demand Justice

By Hamshika Krishnamoorthy:

 

Calls for Accountability Echo Through Westminster The remembrance was not only about mourning the dead but also about demanding justice. On 18 May 2026, Tamils gathered at Parliament Square, London SW1P 3JX, near Westminster Station, before marching toward 10 Downing Street in remembrance for the Silence Condemn Procession in remembrance of the hundreds of thousands of Tamil civilians killed during the Mullivaikkal massacre in Sri Lanka in 2009. Participants used the silent procession to condemn ongoing human rights abuses and to urge the UK government and the United Nations to support international criminal investigations against Sri Lankan officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The annual remembrance brought together survivors, families of the disappeared, youth groups, activists, journalists, and members of the Tamil diaspora from across the United Kingdom. Flowers were laid, and emotional tributes filled Westminster as the Tamil community united in

remembrance and in their continuing demand for justice. The event marked 17 years since the massacre at Mullivaikkal, where Tamil civilians trapped in so-called “No Fire Zones” were relentlessly shelled during the Sri Lankan military offensive. Human rights organisations and

UN experts have repeatedly raised concerns over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the final months of the war, including indiscriminate shelling, attacks on hospitals, enforced disappearances, torture, and the killing of civilians. Yet, despite years of international attention, accountability remains absent.

Mullivaikkal Kanji: A Symbol of Survival One of the most emotional parts of the remembrance was the serving of Mullivaikkal Kanji, a simple rice porridge that has become a powerful symbol of civilian survival during the final months of the war. During the humanitarian catastrophe

in Mullivaikkal in 2009, thousands of starving civilians survived on minimal food supplies, with kanji often being the only meal available.

Today, serving Mullivaikkal Kanji at remembrance events has become a symbolic act of memory and resistance — reminding the world of the suffering endured by Tamil civilians trapped in the war zone.

Many participants accepted the kanji in silence, reflecting on the pain, starvation, and desperation experienced by those who lived through the final days of the conflict. Tamils used the marches and gatherings to condemn ongoing human rights abuses and to urge the UK government

and the United Nations to support international criminal investigations against Sri Lankan officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Speakers at the event criticised what many described as a continuing “silence and lack of accountability” from sections of the

international community. Protesters carried banners calling for justice, international investigations, and recognition of the atrocities committed against Tamil civilians. Chants for accountability echoed through the streets surrounding Parliament, as demonstrators stressed that

reconciliation is impossible without truth and justice.

Uma Kumaran MP’s powerful Twitter post: A significant Twitter post statement issued by Uma Kumaran MP, the first British Member of Parliament of Eelam Tamil heritage. In her statement, she honoured “the tens of thousands of Tamils massacred in Mullivaikkal” and reaffirmed

her commitment to justice and accountability. She stressed that survivors’ stories “must not be silenced” and said that the Tamil community’s collective call for justice “will never be silenced.” Uma Kumaran also highlighted the importance of truth and accountability in achieving lasting peace and reconciliation. She concluded her statement with the powerful words: “The dead cannot cry out for justice; it is a duty

of the living to do so for them.”

A Community That Refuses to Forget: For Tamils, Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day is more than an annual memorial. It is a commitment to preserving historical truth and ensuring that the suffering of Tamil civilians is never erased or forgotten.

Young people born in the diaspora survivors who escaped the war, showing how the memory of Mullivaikkal continues across generations. Outside Parliament, prayers tribute by showering flowers were offered for the victims, the message from the crowd remained clear: despite the

passing of seventeen years, the demand for justice has not faded.

Mullivaikkal remains an open wound for Tamils around the world — and until truth, accountability, and justice are achieved, the voices calling for remembrance will continue to grow louder.